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Cenotaph record

Robert Desmond Coates

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Portrait - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Robert Desmond AWMM
  • Surname
    Coates AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Roy AWMM
  • Service number
    2988 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    28 August 1918 AWMM AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre Oct 1939 AWMM C/o 16 Carlton Gore Road, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
    City Treasurer, Auckland City Council/Civilian AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mr R. Coates (father), C/o 16 Carlton Gore Road, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1 January 1940 AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    • Greece AWMM
    • 1941 Crete AWMM
    • North Africa AWMM
    • Italy AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    2988 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
    • Papakura Camp AWMM
    • Maadi Camp AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Oct 1939 AWMM
    Age 21 AWMM
    Committee Clerk AWMM
    AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Height, Unknown Period AWMM
    6 feet AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • The family also had the address c/o Manly Esplanade, Browns Bay, Auckland, New Zealand

    Roy was educated at Grafton Primary School and won a Junior National scholarship to attend Auckland Grammar school.

    volunteered first day of enrolment

    Details of experiences on Crete are recorded in a 'Unique sort of Battle' by Megan Hutching (Chapter 2). The title of publication comes from a statement by Roy Coates.

    In February 1944 Roy Coates returned to NZ for a 3 month leave period. Many men who returned at the same time felt they had done enough and did not wish to return to the Italian sector.

    Roy felt that as he had volunteered initially, he should return to complete the task and returned to his regiment where he stayed until the war finished for the New Zealand Division in Trieste.

    Brother-in-law of Gordon William Ross (29446) AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    18 October 2001 AWMM
    Age 83 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Dawson, W. (1961). 18 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
      Correspondence with family AWMM
    • Dawson, W. (1961). 18 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 1: WW2 38 AWMM
    • Hutching, M., McGibbon, I., Phillips, J., & Flier, D. (c2001). A unique sort of battle : New Zealanders remember Crete. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM

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